


i've been to the year 2018 (not much has changed but they lived underwater)

by bartallen



Category: NCT (Band), WAYV
Genre: Alternate Universe - Science Fiction, Fluff and Humor, M/M, Time Travel, excessive use of italics because i couldn't control myself, mentioned jaeyong, rated M because of all the swearing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-02
Updated: 2021-02-02
Packaged: 2021-03-17 03:53:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28593558
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bartallen/pseuds/bartallen
Summary: WANTED:Someone who will travel back in time with me. One day trip, payment included. Serious inquiries only. Text me at: xxx-xxx-xxx
Relationships: Kim Dongyoung | Doyoung/Chittaphon Leechaiyapornkul | Ten
Comments: 75
Kudos: 170
Collections: Challenge #4 — Awaken The World





	i've been to the year 2018 (not much has changed but they lived underwater)

**Author's Note:**

> thank you to my *bestie for helping me with this, i could not have done it without you ☆
> 
> this is lowkey based on this [one ad](https://i.pinimg.com/564x/d0/73/cb/d073cb98df6294c98849eeb78145e0b2.jpg) that i found online
> 
> title is from the jonas brothers!

**_WANTED_** : Someone who will travel back in time with me. One day trip, payment included. Serious inquiries only. Text me at: xxx-xxx-xxx 

To be honest, it’s not the worst idea Ten’s had. It’s not the best one either, but Kun isn’t here to stop him from making bad decisions for once, and he’s maybe had one drink too many tonight. He opens the messaging app, and starts typing.

**ten** : i saw your ad

 **ten** : how much are you paying

**Unknown:** Is this a joke?

**ten** : was your ad a joke???

**Unknown** : No, but I need to make sure you’re not making fun of me.

 **Unknown** : This is important to me.

**ten** : yeah omg

 **ten** : im like. super serious

 **ten** : like. super.

 **ten** : serious

**Unknown** : ….okay.

 **Unknown** : Well, I need to meet you first. Are you free tomorrow noon?

🕒

Ten forgets about the conversation the next morning, but when he gets a text from an unknown number it all comes back to him.

**Unknown** : Don’t be late.

“Oh, right,” he exclaims and earns a curious look from his roommate and friend.

“What?” Kun asks, as he stirs his coffee in his to-go cup.

“I’m meeting someone for lunch,” Ten explains casually. “We’re gonna go time traveling later.”

Kun stares at him for a few seconds, before he puts the lid on his cup without a word.

“See you later, Ten.” He pats him on the shoulder as he walks past him, coffee in hand.

🕒

The stranger does not look as weird as Ten expects. If anything he’s pretty handsome, with his shiny black hair and sleek eyes that are drilling holes in Ten’s head. His slender fingers are holding a cup of coffee, and he’s tapping them on the porcelain in a practised fashion. He looks way too put together for someone who put an ad for time traveling online.

“You’re serious?” the guy, who had introduced himself as Doyoung, asks for the third time.

“Yep,” Ten says, leaning back in his chair. Now that he’s here, he might as well enjoy this. Doyoung is beautiful, and if Ten ignores the reason they’re here, he can pretend this is a date. If anything, he’s getting free coffee out of it. “Dead serious.”

“Hmm,” Doyoung sends him one last scrutinising look, before finally releasing some of the tension in his shoulders. “Fine, you’re in.”

Ten grins. “That easy?”

Doyoung shrugs. “The quicker I get this over with, the better.”

He stands up and waits for Ten to do the same. “Come on, I’ll show you my time machine.”

 _Time machine_. Ten does his best to hide his smile.

🕒

“Holy shit, you have a time machine.”

The machine is huge, with blinking lights and carefully put together metal pieces that look enormous and fragile at the same time. The many wires that connect the engine are long and intertwined and too complicated for Ten to comprehend. There’s a console that has about a million keys, and a giant door that is currently open, hanging in the air. It looks ready to go.

“I thought you believed me,” Doyoung scoffs, sending him a judging look.

Ten blinks a few times, and looks from the huge machine towards the taller male.

“Are you crazy?” he exclaims, laughing. “Who would believe that?”

Doyoung huffs, and crosses his arms.

“Do you always follow stranger into their homes, then?” His voice sounds strained as he levels Ten with another look.

“I mean,” Ten starts carefully, looking Doyoung up and down. “Only the pretty ones.”

Doyoung gapes at him, as if he cannot believe what he’s hearing.

“You’re unreal,” he laughs a humourless laugh, clearly scandalised. “I can’t believe I thought you were serious.”

Ten rolls his eyes, and shifts from one foot to the other.

“I mean, I believe you _now_ ,” he says. “And I’m already here, so we might as well go through with it, right?”

Doyoung considers this for a moment, before the anger in his face fades, and he nods.

“Only because I’m under time pressure.”

Ten smiles and pats Doyoung’s shoulder, trying to ignore how the other shoves his hand off.

  
🕒

“The most important rule of Time Travel: Never interact with your past self,” Doyoung says solemnly. “Time will collapse and the world will end.”

“How dramatic,” Ten rolls his eyes. “What else?”

“Are you taking this serious at all?”

Doyoung looks tired and pinches his nose.

“Sure,” Ten agrees easily and scoots closer to where Doyoung is sitting on the couch. “So, where are we going? Are we gonna kill Hitler?”

“What?” Doyoung says, incredulously. “Why would I take _you_ to kill Hitler?”

“Okay, _wow_ ,” Ten whistles, holding his hands up in surrender. “That was unprovoked.”

Doyoung shakes his head.

“We’re going back two years.”

Ten deflates, underwhelmed.

“What?” he groans. “That’s so boring!”

“Well, it’s where I need to go.”

He clears his throat, and gets out a piece of paper.

“Wow, you have a note and everything.”

“Will you shut up?” He shoots Ten an annoyed look, and unfolds the paper, before speaking again. “We’re going back to June 29, 2018. You’re going to talk to past me and convince him to not go to the job interview in the afternoon.”

Ten stares at him for a few seconds. “….That’s it? You hate your job?”

Doyoung sighs, and goes to say something, but Ten interrupts him.

“Just quit your job, and let’s go crash the Queen’s coronation or something!”

“No, you _idiot_ ,” Doyoung hisses. “It obviously has a deeper meaning.”

Ten doubts that, but lets Doyoung speak anyway.

“Two years ago, I ditched my best friend to go to a spontaneous job interview. He recently told me he was gonna confess to me that day.”

He pauses for what Ten thinks is dramatic effect, before continuing. “When I didn’t make it, he started talking to the barista instead. Who is now his fiancee. They’re getting married this weekend.”

“Oh,” Ten raises his eyebrows. “Wow. That’s….a lot.”

“I’m in love with him, if you haven’t guessed that yet.”

“No, no,” Ten answers. “I did. But how the fuck is a job interview _spontaneous_?”

Doyoung balls his fist and starts shaking lightly. Ten is surprised he hasn’t crumbled the piece of paper in his hand yet. He takes a deep breath, before showing Ten the fakest smile he’s ever seen.

“Shall we go?”

“Sure!”

🕒

Ten still doesn’t believe the time machine is real, if he’s being honest. They’re sitting inside, and Doyoung put on some fancy seatbelts that look way too pretentious to be genuine. He starts pressing some keys and moving levers left and right, and suddenly they’re moving.

He wants to curse, but even speaking turns out to be difficult, because _holy shit_ , they’re actually traveling through time.

He doesn’t know how long it actually takes, but throughout the entire ordeal Doyoung is quiet and only spares Ten a short look, which, _rude_.

When they’re leaving the time machine on shaky feet, the flat looks different. It’s the same building, sure, but the furniture is different.

“Did we just travel through _time_?” Ten gasps.

Doyoung doesn’t answer him.

🕒

“Okay,” Doyoung takes a shaky breath. “I’m gonna come out of this restaurant in 10 minutes. Just approach me and tell me what we talked about.”

Ten looks at the paper Doyoung has given him and winces. “I still think this isn’t gonna work.” He shakes his head. “Your script is terrible.”

Doyoung groans. “Just do as I say! I know myself better than you.”

Again, Ten doubts this but says nothing as they watch the restaurant door. They’re hiding behind a hedge, and Doyoung is anxiously wringing his hands.

“Stop that,” Ten grabs one of Doyoung’s hand, squeezing it. “You’re annoying me.”

“I’m annoying you?” Doyoung scoffs. “Me?”

It’s only when he sees the restaurant door open, that he lets go of Doyoung’s hand.

“Showtime!”

“Remember what I told you!” He hears Doyoung hiss behind him.

🕒

Past Doyoung does not look that different from present Doyoung. His hair is slightly shorter, but the same shade of black, and his eyes are still as stunning. His jawline is not as prominent as now, making him look a bit younger and softer around the edges.  
  
Ten walks up to him, and smiles.

“Hi,” he says cheerfully.

Doyoung looks taken aback, and looks around as if to make sure he was the one addressed. “Hi?”

“My name is Ten.”

“Okay?”

Ten raises one eyebrow and looks at the other expectantly.

“…I’m Doyoung.”

“Nice to meet you,” Ten says and grabs one of Doyoung’s hands, forcefully. “Where are you headed?”

Doyoung shakes Ten’s hand, if a bit unwillingly and then puts it in his pocket.

“Are you interrogating me? I don’t know you.”

Ten sighs. Does he really have to go by script after all?

“I’m with Delta Industries. There has been a mistake, and they mixed up your contact details. Sadly, you’re not the one they wanna interview.”

Doyoung takes a few seconds to comprehend what has been sent and his face goes from suspicious to heartbroken in a second. The corner of his mouth turns down and he looks so utterly crushed that Ten feels bad.

“I mean, it’s not your fault. You’re great.” He winces at his own choice of words and quickly backtracks. "But like, the interview. Don’t show up.”

Now, Doyoung looks more confused than sad.

“I’m sorry,” He looks around. “How did you know I was going to be here?”

Ten pauses, unprepared for such a question. He sneaks a look at the piece of paper Doyoung had given him, but nothing. Maybe Doyoung had underestimated his own cleverness.

Or maybe Doyoung was dumber than he appeared to be.

“You said so on the phone, duh.”

“No, I didn’t.”

Doyoung stands more upright now, any trace of sorrow gone. He crosses his arms and looks as much the Doyoung from the present.

“Who are you again?”

“My name is Ten,” he tries again, smile on his face. “I’m with Delta Industries-“

“Cut the bullshit and tell me the truth.”

“Feisty, aren’t we?” Ten grumbles.

“So?”

Looking back, he realises present Doyoung is nowhere to be seen. He curses inwardly for going along with his stupid plan in the first place. Doyoung’s past version stares at him, one eyebrow raised.

“Fine, I lied,” Ten admits. “I’m not actually from the company or whatever. I overheard you talking on the phone inside.”

Doyoung looks smug, as if he had expected that.

“And why don’t you want me going to that interview?”

🕒

“So, I have good and bad news,” Ten announces once he’s back with present Doyoung.

“What happened?”

“Good news is: you’re not going to that interview!” he tells him, making a tiny cheering motion with his arms. “Yay?”

Doyoung looks utterly relieved at that, before he seems to recall what Ten said.

“What’s the bad news?”

Ten pauses, before clearing his throat awkwardly, “You have a date tonight?”

Doyoung stares at him, baffled.

“What? With whom?”

Ten doesn’t answer him, and just holds his gaze as understanding dawns on Doyoung’s face.

“ _What_?” he shrieks. “How did you let that happen?”

Doyoung grips his hair in despair, clearly not done. He shoots Ten a dirty look and throws his hands in the air.

“You had _one_ job, Ten,” he yells. “Literally one job!”

“It’s not my fault you think I’m cute!” he defends himself. “You’re the one who asked me out!”

“You could have said no!”

Ten shrugs and tries to hide a smile, “Believe me, you were very convincing.”

Doyoung does not look pleased at all, if anything, he looks even angrier.

“The entire point of this was to make me go to that cafe with Taeyong,” he explains slowly, as if talking to a child. “That’s literally the only reason we came here.”

Ten huffs, “Are you even sure past you will accept Taeyong’s confession?”

Doyoung looks at him as if he’s crazy. “Of course he will!”

Ten raises an eyebrow. “He literally just asked me out, like ten minutes ago. I’m not so sure he’s in love with him like you claim he is.”

🕒

Ten finds present Doyoung on a park bench. The sun is still high, and there’s an ice cream stand nearby, so a lot of children are running past him, but Doyoung doesn’t seem to mind.

“Are you sulking?”

Doyoung doesn’t seem surprised that Ten’s here. He just shrugs and goes back to staring at the grass.

“Look,” Ten says, “I can just go to the cafe and tell Taeyong to meet Doyoung at the place he’s supposed to meet _me_. That way you can have a nice date and he can confess there or whatever.”

It’s a great plan, if you ask Ten. He’s still not sure that past Doyoung will return Taeyong’s feelings, but as Doyoung says: he knows himself better than anyone.

But Doyoung just shakes his head.

“No,” he sighs. “You’re right.”

“I am?”

“I’m not in love with Taeyong,” he admits. “I don’t know what I was thinking. I’m sorry for bringing you here.”

Doyoung looks all sad again, but it’s a different look than what his past self looked like earlier in the day. But still– Ten doesn’t like the way it makes him feel. Like he has to cheer him up or something. It’s not like he owes him anything, and yet…

“Why don’t you want your friend to get married? Do you not like his fiancee?”

Doyoung is quiet for a moment, and when he speaks his voice is all soft. “No, Jaehyun’s great, I guess. I just…”

“You were scared of being alone?”

Doyoung looks up now and meets Ten’s gaze. He nods, slowly.

Ten can tell he’s a bit embarrassed about admitting that, but he holds his gaze nevertheless. And god, Ten has never been good at comforting people, really, but somehow seeing the other man sitting there like that makes him want to try.

“You won’t be alone,” he tries and cringes at how cliché he sounds. “He won’t stop being your friend just because he gets married. And Taeyong isn’t the only person in the world, you know.”

“In case you couldn’t tell, I don’t have a lot of friends,” Doyoung mumbles. “I mean, I brought _you_ to travel through time with me.”

“Hey,” he tries to cheer him up by shoving him lightly. “I’m great! And when we get back, you’ll still have me! We can hang out, or whatever.”

Doyoung rolls his eyes.

“Great,” he deadpans, but Ten can see he’s smiling.

They sit there for a few more peaceful moments, just watching the kids run around in chaos with their ice creams in hands, before Doyoung breaks the silence.

“We can go back now, if you want.”

Ten agrees, and so they walk back to the flat. It’s only when they’re already inside the time machine, that Doyoung speaks again.

“I can’t believe past me is getting stood up right now.”

Ten only grins, “Happens to the best of us, don’t worry about it.”

Doyoung gives Ten a calculating look, as he’s pressing the keys on the machine. “You didn’t exchange numbers with him, or anything, right?”

Ten freezes, and Doyoung does, too.  
  
“ _Ten_!”

He hadn’t really thought it would be a big deal, but judging from the way Doyoung is freaking out again, it seems to be.

“ _Please_ tell me you changed your number in the past two years.”

And well, he hasn’t.

It’s too late, anyway, because the machine beeps and –

🕒

_Changing the time stream is very easy. Only a small incident can alter the current events on a much larger scale, so we need to be careful._

Those had been Doyoung’s words when he had explained Time Travel to him around noon. He had just nodded along, but only now does he realise how right he had been.

They exit the time machine, still wobbly but not as shaken as they had been the first time around, and Ten feels _different_.

He can’t pinpoint what it is, exactly, but he remembers.

He remembers so much _more_.

“Well,” a voice says behind him. “That happened.”

Ten turns around, and there is Doyoung. He looks just like he did a few minutes ago, but just looking at him now evokes feelings that hadn’t been there before.

Sure, he had appreciated his beauty, because how could he not, but had he always felt so warm and giddy while looking at him?

And _holy shit_ , Doyoung is smiling at him. Like, actually smiling, without a hint of annoyance on his face.

And all of a sudden, the memories are _there_.

“Oh my god, we’re _dating._ ”

“I….” Doyoung pauses, then shrugs halfheartedly, that stupid soft smile still on his face. “Yeah.”

Ten can’t even believe it. He stares at his boyfriend, and _oh my god_ , they’ve been dating for almost two years now. _Holy shit!_

He couldn’t help but run up to Doyoung and throw his arms around his neck, almost strangling him. Doyoung _oofs_ but returns the hug anyway.

“I can’t believe you were gonna break up Taeyong and Jaehyun, all because you were _lonely_.”

Doyoung smacks him on the head from behind, but doesn’t remove his arms from around him. He hears his boyfriend laugh quietly, his chest moving up and down from underneath where his head is resting.

“I guess I’m not so lonely anymore,” he answers.

Ten groans, “That was so cheesy, I can’t believe you said that.”

Doyoung shushes him and says, “Plus, I now have a date to Taeyong’s wedding.”

“Is that the only thing you care about?”

Ten looks up from where his head is laying on Doyoung’s chest and finds the other already looking at him.

“No,” he says, leaning forward and giving the smaller one a kiss on the forehead. “No, it’s not.”

Ten smiles and buries his face back into Doyoung’s sweater, feeling warm all over.

He can't believe he _time traveled._

**Author's Note:**

> [twt](https://twitter.com/dearnoya) / [cc](https://curiouscat.qa/dearestdream)


End file.
